Missing beyond the Red Dawn
by the dark icon writers
Summary: Project Canceled... Life is not easy, but death is harder. Gone from their homes, four teens find out just how hard life can be... but how great it can be, when you have people you can call family. Up For Adoption


_**1.** Uzumaki – Profit to Gain _  
Mindless Self Indulgence – What do they know

Peace was something that the world had never given him in the past 13 years of his life. Many obstacles continued to brace their ways into his life and he continued to overcome them like they were simple flies. Not many can survive the pain, of having no one to love you. No one at all to tell you that you are something, to tell you that you are wanted.

But yet he continued to survive and do everything he could do for his 'home', no matter what hey thought about him and the thing that he held deep within his gut. His life was one to be respected, all of the things that he does only make him stronger a human than anyone else.

He looked up to the sky overhead; it was beginning to get dark. He dragged the figure behind him by his shirt; as ripped as it was it was still a good source to pull from. They were slowly making their way back to that place, back to her; the one he had done all of this for to begin with.

He knew she'd never accept his feelings; she had too much hero worship for the man that he continued to carry. None of that mattered though, he could never hate her; no matter what she did to him. It was part of his character; he could never truly hate anyone unless they did something to one of his precious people.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the branch besides him snapped. He looked over to the source of the sound and couldn't hold back the grin which formed at his mouth when he saw who it was.

Shikamaru Nara didn't say anything as he walked besides his teammate for the clearly successful mission. Neither of them spoke, this was no place for words. Many things had occurred; he had felt the power radiating from what had to be the place of their battle.

The blonde was not one he had figured to have that much power. It was almost scary; in fact it would have been if it was _anyone _else besides the blonde whom had that amount of power. It was his character, he'd never misuse the power that he had gotten no matter how much he could have done with it.

"Go ahead and ask." He said tiredly. Oh yes, he was tired. Not many people could say that they could be at full strength after fighting what was probably your best friend whom tried to kill you out of a request by the woman you loved whom would never love you back.

True his physical injuries were clearing by now; but mentally and spiritually… wounds take years to heal.

Shikamaru didn't stop walking; instead he stayed besides him quietly for a while, till he finally asked the question that had bugged him even since the tournament.

"Why are you so powerful how is it possible?"

Naruto Uzumaki did not falter in his steps as the rest of their group had appeared in the clearing. Lee, Kiba, Chouji, and Neji all injured, and the sand siblings were watching over them.

No one had died.

He smiled one of the few true smiles that he ever let show having nothing to actually be happy about back in Konoha. To his credit, Shikamaru did not falter in his step neither when he heard his response.

"I'm the container of the Kitsune no Kyuubi."

"I see."

No more words had to be spoken; an entire conversation had just taken place with that simple statement. They approached their group, both happy that no one had been seriously hurt in this mission. Naruto felt the urge to look towards the moon with a smile; his life had been changed from the moment that he and Sasuke had thrown the first punch. He just didn't know it yet.

"Mission Complete." They all said in unison, thankful that it was all done for the meantime.

Needless to say, some things were just beginning.

It's said in Indian superstition that the moon always knows when something is going to happen in the near future. Naruto however did not know this as he looked up into the night sky, the entire group walking besides him. On his shoulder he held the limp form of Uchiha Sasuke, he was asked if wanted someone else to carry the load but he rejected it; saying something among the lines of 'I promised.'

Now he looked up into the sky at the moon which continued to glow brightly as if for him. No one was speaking; instead they decided to continue looking at the young boy whom seemed to be deep in thought. The gates of Konoha were in sight now, and on the inside he was running more than a mile a minute.

He had fulfilled his promise, and now he was headed back to receive the products of his work. But for some weird reason, he wasn't looking forward to it. He was about to deliver her 'prince' back into her arms and then go on with everything else like normal.

Normal didn't always mean good.

Well it was too late to do anything now, the gates were open. He could even see the outlines of 'her' outfit. He looked over to the other members of his team and noticed soft smiles upon their faces, they were all happy to be home. Gaara and his siblings had left back near the border back towards their own homes, their job done and now they had reached their 'home.'

He didn't even pay attention as the gates opened completely and then various ninja and ANBU started to surround him, fussing over the package in his hands. He wouldn't let 'it' go though, he had done this for a reason and he was going to see it through completely.

Haruno Sakura didn't say anything as the third member of her team approached her. She had made him promise to bring him back and that he had. She didn't even say anything when he stopped in front of her and dropped the young Uchiha's body to the ground. Wordless she bent down to check all of the damage that had been done to her 'love'.

Silently in the background the rest of his team looked on, wondering what would happen now. The doctors whom were worrying over them were ignored as they stayed their in silence. She said nothing as she let the doctors take the weight from her hands; she instead stood up and walked so that she was right in front of the young boy's face.

Naruto Uzumaki prized himself as being the most unpredictable ninja in the village of the leaf. He could take any situation that he found himself in and come out victorious no matter what the odds were. Expecting many things he couldn't help but smile as the girl continued to stare at him without saying a word. In the past 13 years of his life, no one had said anything remotely like '_thank you' _for anything that he had done; finally he would get some appreciation.

Not even he, the unpredictable ninja that he was, expected the slap that sent his face rolling to the other side.

"How dare you?" she said calmly but one could literally feel the hate rolling off of those three simple words. "How dare you hurt Sasuke-kun." She said again, not paying any attention to anyone but the blond in front of her.

"I ask you to bring him back to me and when you do he's almost dead. If the medics here weren't as good as they are he'd probably be dead." Naruto said nothing, still reeling from the slap; he just stared into her eyes.

"You're pathetic! You dare hurt someone that much better than you when they're clearly weakened by some weird curse thing! You're a simple dead last and you wanted to take him out! He was just too powerful for you wasn't he!" Naruto stopped paying attention at that point.

"I brought back Sasuke for you, my mission is done."

With that he begun to walk away, ignoring everything around him. But then she yelled out what was probably the worse sentence one could ever say to a person. He had done everything that he could for her, including risking his own life. Sasuke would have killed him if it was not for the Kyuubi, there's nothing else to say it's the truth. He had gone out of his way with the mission because of her wish, and now that he had succeeded all he wanted was something that he had never gotten before.

Appreciation.

He defeated the traitor Mizuki whom tried to steal the scroll of seals to give to Orochimaru and saved the life of his sensei and now older brother.

He defeated Haku when no one else could.

He was passed by because no one as 'weak' as him could do anything like that.

He held off the great snake sennin when 'he' was ready to give up. He didn't back down and he survived.

Nothing.

He defeated Sabaka No Gaara in full demon form.

And no one even knew he did it. They did not care; Sasuke was clearly more powerful than him so of course he did the fighting and defeating.

Humans only want a few things in life in reality.

Respect, appreciation, and love.

Once again it would seem that the world did not see him as human… for he received none of these.

"It would have been worth it if you hadn't been able to return him because he had killed you, you worthless piece of shit!"

He simply walked away.

"You think you know everything!" He continued to punch the tree in front of him, ignoring the pain as blood continued to slip down his fingers.

It had been a week since the success of the mission. Lee, Chouji, Neji, and Kiba were still in the hospital taking care of their injuries but none of them were life threatening thankfully. He and Shikamaru had talked since that day about many things but no one in the hospital would allow him to see the others…

They were afraid that he might do something to them.

That was one of the things that had brought him here, to this forest where he continued to break his hand by punching the tree. Even though it had happened a week ago he still felt the pain from 'her' words. She had wished him dead, simple and clean. There was nothing worse that anyone could do to him.

The poor tree in front of him was pretty much gone to a better place. It had been torn, beaten, and burned by various jutsu so many times that it was almost truly dead. He continued to punch his objective to rid himself of the anger which continued to conquer his soul.

But he was stopped by the muttering of a sentence.

'**We need to talk brat.' **

His eyes glazed over and then he fell back to the ground face up where as he was taken into his own mind where a great demon lay.

Most people whom came face to face with a real life demon would be scared to death but Naruto Uzumaki was not 'most people'. He walked towards the cage with no emotions showing besides irritation.

Kyuubi looked at the blonde as he approached his cage. No matter how much he wanted to deny it he liked the kid. He was loud, energetic, and all of that but he had a code of morals; one of the few things that separated humans from the other races of creatures; not many of them had one.

Yet he had seen everything that had happened over the week and no matter what he was he had to find some way to make everything better.

After all… demon's and foxes stuck together.

No matter what.

'Kyuubi.' He said in greeting, he was too tired to yell out his normal greeting to the giant fox so he settled with the normality of things.

**'Brat.' **He returned the greeting in the same way.

'**You have had a hard week.' **Kyuubi pointed out to the boy, Naruto didn't say anything instead opting to shrug.

'**I think it's time you leave this place, and find somewhere you can be appreciated.'**

"Well this is it I suppose." He said as he looked at the gates of the village where he had grown up and lived for the past 13 years of his life.

And with that, Naruto Uzumaki was gone, leaving behind his old life in exchange for a new one.

She sat there in the IC watching over him not saying anything. The beeps of the machines all around and the 'slurps' of spreading liquid roared in comparison to the room. She ran a finger through his raven hair and smiled lopsided.

"How dare he do this to you…" she asked the non-moving figure whom lay in the bed.

"You'll pay… Naruto Uzumaki." She tightened her fist "You shall pay."

On another side of the village another young woman looked up into the night sky and noticed a star glowing brighter than it ever had before.

She couldn't help but smile, 'he' had always said that it was his lucky star and if it glowed then his luck in life would continue to grow.

"So Naruto, you're luck is growing?" she stood up and left the roof at her mom's yell.

If she had stayed only a few moments later, she would have noticed three other stars glowing brightly as well.

**END**

Missing beyond the red dawn

By: Dimitri Plabato of the Dark Icon United Front

A/N: Well it took a bit but finally the re-vamped version of 'True Pain' is back up and better than ever. True Pain was removed during purge week for whatever reason but that's okay, I think you'll all like this version better anyways (at least later on in the story, it'll be a little slow in the beginning.). I don't have much to say this time so I'll see ya next chapter.


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